Liquid enhanced laser stripping

Abstract

A method for stripping ceramic from a component includes applying a liquid to a ceramic coating of an outer surface of the component. The method also includes directing a plurality of laser pulses at the ceramic coating with the applied liquid in order to spall the ceramic coating from the component.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for stripping a ceramic coating from a component, comprising:
 wetting a ceramic coating on an outer surface of the component with a liquid by spraying the liquid onto the ceramic coating; and 
 using a laser generator to direct a plurality of laser pulses at the ceramic coating with the applied liquid in order to spall the ceramic coating from the component, the laser generator including a fiber laser generator, 
 wherein the liquid includes an ink to absorb energy from the plurality of laser pulses such that the liquid changes from a liquid state to a gaseous state in response to receiving at least some of the plurality of laser pulses. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber laser generator generates the plurality of laser pulses using an optical fiber as an active gain medium. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of laser pulses has a pulse duration that is between 2 nanoseconds and 500 nanoseconds. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of laser pulses has a power of between 500 watts and 10 kilowatts. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of moving the component relative to the plurality of laser pulses or moving the plurality of laser pulses relative to the component while directing the plurality of laser pulses at the ceramic coating in order to apply at least one pulse of the plurality of laser pulses to each area of the component that includes the ceramic coating in order to remove all of the ceramic coating. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic coating has a columnar structure grown on a metallic bond coating of the component such that the liquid fills in gaps between columns of the columnar structure. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic coating includes at least one of an yttrium stabilized zirconia or a gadolinium zirconate, and the component includes at least one of a nickel, a cobalt, a chromium, an aluminum, or an yttrium. 
     
     
       8. A method for stripping a ceramic coating from a component, comprising:
 applying a liquid including water to a ceramic coating of an outer surface of the component; 
 using a laser generator to direct a plurality of laser pulses at the ceramic coating with the applied liquid to spall the ceramic coating from the component, the laser generator including a fiber laser generator; and 
 at least one of moving the component relative to the plurality of laser pulses or moving the plurality of laser pulses relative to the component while directing the plurality of laser pulses at the ceramic coating, 
 wherein the liquid includes an ink to absorb energy from the plurality of laser pulses such that the liquid changes from a liquid state to a gaseous state in response to receiving at least some of the plurality of laser pulses. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein each of the plurality of laser pulses have a pulse duration that is between 2 nanoseconds and 500 nanoseconds and a power of between 500 watts and 10 kilowatts. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the fiber laser generator generates the plurality of laser pulses using an optical fiber as an active gain medium. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the fiber laser generator generates the plurality of laser pulses using at least one of stimulated Raman scattering or four-wave mixing as a gain media.